Will updating library base impact linked records?

Question

I have a base that I’ve published as a library, let’s call it Part Numbers. It only has two fields - a Part Number and a description. I have 2 or 3 other bases that are pulling in this library as a table, and they’re linking records to it.

I now need to make some updates to the Part Numbers base - some individual #s may be deleted, or descriptions might be changed, etc. If I upload a new CSV to the main library base and overwrite everything that’s there, but many of the #s never change at all, will the linked records in other bases stay linked?

ScottWorld · Accepted Answer

They’ll stay linked as long as you don’t delete the items that they’re linked to.

You can’t delete an item and then recreate it… that will break the link.

So, when you import your CSV, be sure to “merge” (or “upsert”) the new records with the old records.

You can do this with Airtable’s CSV Import app, which gives you the ability to “merge“.

However, Airtable’s CSV app can’t be automated at all.

If you’d like to automate the process of importing & merging CSV files into Airtable, then you would want to use Make’s CSV modules along with Make’s Airtable modules.

Make’s Airtable modules lets you “upsert” records, which is the same thing as “merging”.

I demonstrate how to import & merge CSV files using Make on this Airtable podcast episode.

Hope this helps!

If you have a budget and you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with this or anything else that is Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld

CaitlenBerg · Answer

Thanks ​@ScottWorld!

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